Watertown Rapids optimistic about the season ahead

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – The Watertown Rapids play Saturday and Sunday at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds. We checked out the local college league baseball team.

The Rapids entered Friday with a 3-7 record, having lost three straight and sitting last in the PGCLB East.

Despite the record, Rapids manager Mike Cogut said he was pleased with his club’s efforts in the first 10 games of the season.

“Yeah, you know we’ve got the first week of the season now,” Kogut said. “The guys are getting a little bit more comfortable in Watertown and getting to know each other. We’ve had some success on the field, but we’ve had some bad games, and of course some defensive issues, and we’re working on that.”

As Kogut said, so far in 2023, the Rapids have struggled on the field, committing 18 turnovers in their first 10 games. With the team resting for four consecutive days due to the weather, Kogut said he hopes the extended break will help his club get back on track.

“It’s hard to win, especially in such a good league, if you’re letting teams get four or five outs in an innings. The weather gave us some time to rest, get fit, and we’re going to have some ground today. Ball and fly ball drills. Keep getting comfortable with these guys and work hard,” Kogut said.

The Rapids are now adding doubles to their schedule due to the rain, which is starting to wreak havoc on Watertown’s pitching rotation.

“It’s just, it puts pressure on your pitch. They’re getting some rest right now, but on the back end, we’re definitely looking for guys who can stretch a little bit to get us through these two doubles weeks,” Kogut said. explain.

After an up and down first 10 games of the season, Kogut said one of the things that impressed him most about his team was the way they bounced back from adversity and prepared to play every day.

“Just their attitude and work ethic. Guys work around the clock here. We had some guys drive down to Lowville and use Double Play’s indoor facilities [Sports] It was raining yesterday. Whenever we have something going on, they come here early and ready to work,” Kogut said.

The Rapids return to host Amsterdam Mohawk on Saturday, with the first game scheduled for 6 p.m. at Toyota Arena.

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